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The further we plunge into the AI-can-just-do-content-for-us world, the more this life lesson rings true to me:

The things most worth doing are hard.

AI relationships aren't hard to maintain. The robots adapt to you. They don't challenge you. You never have to have a tough conversation. They pad your ego. You're always a winner, but you never grow.

Marriage is hard. I'm personally going on 14 years navigating life with my polar opposite. It's not always easy, but we challenge and encourage each other. We're growing together. Hard? Mmmm-hmmm. Worth it? Absolutely.

Duolingo (not AI, but robot-y) isn't hard either. It's gamified word-memorization. It's fun. You get digital prizes along the way. But, the second you set foot in Japan, Mexico, Italy, Greece—wherever, guess what? No one understands you. Because you didn't put in the work to learn the language.

You know what is hard? Dropping yourself into an environment where the only language people around you are speaking is...well, not your native language. I did that, too. It was embarrassing. I messed up a lot. Once, I told some I crapped my pants (I didn't). I cried A LOT. I remember getting to Russia, and I couldn't read any of the labels at the grocery store. I wanted mustard. I didn't find mustard until like 3 months later (it's in like toothpaste-looking packaging). It was extremely isolating. Until it wasn't. Now, I have meaningful relationships with so many friends I wouldn't have even met if I didn't do the work.

Now, let's get to the content part of this newsletter. Fine.

It is soooooooo EASY to generate content with AI. But, is it worth it? Is it worth it to put message after message out into the world that says, "we didn't care enough to put any effort into this content?" Is that what you want associated with your brand? Is it worth it to create more noise? Do we learn anything? Are we skipping the best part of writing—thinking? And the second best part: sharing your new ideas with people who care?

This past year has been strange. I've experimented a lot with AI. I've had clients flat out ask me to generate full articles with AI. I've edited content from other writers that was fully AI-generated (and massively boring).

And, obviously, there are use cases.

But, I really miss the reason why I got into content marketing—creation. It bums me out that a client would insist on AI-generated content over letting me bust out my writing chops. I worked hard for them. I earned them.

I miss sitting down to a blank page and thinking through a mess of thoughts, gobs of research, new data, etc., and pulling it all together into a cohesive narrative that says something.

The more we move forward into the Current State of 2025 Content Marketing, the more I want to go back to before.

You?

Thanks for reading,

Ashley R. Cummings

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Expert Interview | Marie Ellis

1. Tell me more about yourself and your journey into content.
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Cast your mind back to Los Angeles in the early 2000s. I was a struggling actor in my early 20s. Discouraged by my prospects, I went back to university to get a degree in English. The first job I got after graduating was in San Francisco as the Editorial Assistant for a German magazine focusing on the science and technology of solar power. The only reason I got this job is that I spoke German, but I had cracked into the ethereal world of publishing!
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During my three years with the company, I managed to convince them to let me work part-time while pursuing a master’s degree in English in the UK. After that, I landed a job as the Senior Editor at a (then) small website called Medical News Today. My career took off at this company. We were acquired by Healthline, and I eventually rose to Managing Editor. Meanwhile, our site climbed into the top 3 health websites in the world. I learned the ins and outs of SEO content, among other valuable skills, and exponentially grew the editorial team.
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I eventually left Healthline and joined a nutrition science company here in the UK called ZOE. As Editorial Director, I was in charge of the team that created blogs and SEO articles, managed the newsletter, worked on product content, and helped out with the podcast. Needless to say, I now had many more strings to my bow!
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About a year ago, after a 15-year in-house career, I went freelance and started a company called MUSE Content. I’m loving every moment of it. This past year, I was the ghostwriter on a Sunday Times number 1 bestselling book, I did a developmental edit for a business book, and I’ve been operating as a mini-agency to create an SEO content strategy for a science company. There’s never a dull moment over here; I’ve reached an incredible point in my life where I’m able to pull from all of my skills as a storyteller to help people make incredible content.
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I’m still following my dreams. I perform regularly in an improv show here in Bristol (west of London) where I live. I’ve also just finished writing my debut fiction novel and am in the exhilarating and terrifying stage of querying agents.
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​2. Do you have any tips on how to create a smooth editing process--one where all stakeholders get their say but it isn't confusing to the writer?​
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A hard-won lesson I’ve learned over the years is this: Don’t ever underestimate the importance of a clear brief. When you’re working with multiple stakeholders, there’s an inherent risk that the aim of the content gets muddled as it changes hands.
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Lay down in clear terms:
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​*What’s the goal of the content? Is it to get the reader to take action? Is it to educate? To influence? Understanding this shared goal will keep everyone’s focus where it should be.

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​*How do you want your reader to feel? Do you want them to feel angry so they’re galvanized into action? Do you want them to feel supported and seen? Do you want them to feel surprised? Putting the focus on the reader will make the content more impactful and influence the way the writer writes and the editor edits.

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​*What are the deadlines? Agree to them as a team and don’t ever miss them. With health SEO content, our editorial process involves seven (yes, seven!) steps and five different people. Making clear, realistic deadlines is the only way a robust editorial process can work.
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One final note: What makes writing and editing “good” is often subjective. Sure, there are rules of grammar and style guides to follow, but this is a craft, and there are infinite ways you can combine words to make meaning. Don’t forget to allow space for magic to happen—abracadabra! What are words, after all, if not magical objects that create something out of nothing?

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50+ new content marketing jobs 📝

Check out the Content Connect job board with 50+ new leads for this week alone.

Find jobs here

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The Best in Content This Week

I read 100s of articles every week and find the best (so you don't have to).

1/ The dangers of falling in love with your own content (Relato)

In this article, a LifeLock CEO gets his identity stolen 13 times—and it’s the perfect lesson on why bold content ideas need a reality check. Read more in the full article.

2/ So you think you understand conversational AI's impact on Search & SEO? (The CMO Club)

Learn why Google's dominance in search might be cracking—and how conversational AI like ChatGPT is quietly rewriting the rules of SEO, search behavior, and content strategy.

3/ 18 search developments you need to know from Q1 (Whitespark)

Check out the 18 major local SEO developments from Q1 2025—including Google’s “Diversity Update,” new GBP features, and a surprising review bug that wiped out 50+ reviews for some businesses.

4/ Write smarter, not harder: How to use AI without losing your soul (Animalz)

Animalz distills 10 real-world strategies for using AI without losing your voice—no hype, no fluff, just smart, soul-saving systems for content teams who want to move faster without sounding robotic.

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Connect with Ashley

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Services

• ​Freelance writing services: I write long-form content for companies like Uber, Shopify, Salesforce, LinkedIn, & Adweek. (Read samples)
• ​SaaS content marketing agency services: I provide services for SaaS companies that need full content marketing support.

Resources

• ​Free community: Join 142K other content marketers.
• ​Resources: Get the freelance writing template bundle, contractor agreement, and content brief.

Digital nomad life

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